Learn To Love
by Winter Sapphire
Summary: An ancient curse, a hideous monster, and an airheaded girl that's supposed to end it all. A Fruits Basket version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. KyoRu.
1. Crushed Visions

**Author's Note**:

Upon seeing a challenge written out by pichuchu29, I decided to write a remake of the classic Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast, in a Furuba style! I guess being bored really does make people do crazy things, huh? Anyways, although I'm a die-hard YukiRu fan, this is a KyoRu. It just fit the story better than a YukiRu.

**Disclaimer**:

I don't own Fruits Basket – that belongs to Natsuki Takaya. For that matter, I don't own Beauty and the Beast either, because _it _belongs to Disney.

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

The wind raced through the trees, creating a rather eerie sound throughout the Kumori Forest. An occasional earsplitting howl crossed through the sky, causing a few frightened mice to scramble through the underbrush.

Amidst all of this, only one thing seemed out of place. A hunched, cloaked figure strolled casually up a grassy path towards a large, fenced-off castle. The entire castle was made out of pure, white marble, with several ascending towers with angelic gargoyles perched on top. Beyond the iron gates sat two silver-coated fountains with streams of water pouring out from every possible angle, along with a beautiful garden with blossoming flowers and a menagerie full of exotic birds.

All in all, the appearance was very welcoming to any passerby, including the person who had now approached the entrance and was peering through the iron grates with interest. With a gentle push, the gates swung open, and the figure continued her way towards the castle doors.

Unfortunately, as the old phrase said, appearances could be deceiving. That saying couldn't have been any truer.

Three loud knocks. That's all it took to gain the attention of the owner. With a powerful slam, the door swung open, revealing a rather irritated young man. His blood red eyes shone with suppressed anger, and his fiery orange hair glistened as the moonlight shone down on it. The man seemed to be rather wealthy, with a vibrant black silk cloak hiding away most of his body from the world, with the exception oh his head and gloved hands. Staring down at the person in utter disgust, he spat out, "Yeah, what the hell do _you _want, you old hag?"

The woman answered by raising a feeble hand towards the youth, breathing out in a raspy voice at the same time, "Please, young master… I need a place to stay tonight… would you not let me stay here? Just for one night?"

The boy's face contorted in anger, and with a fierce growl he swatted the hand away, "Not in a million years, _wench_," he snarled, eyeing the woman out of the corner of his eye, "Who do you think you are, anyway?"

To his surprise, the cloak was thrown off of the woman. He was blinded for a second by a powerful, direct burst of white light. He pressed his eyes shut, letting out a cry or shock and pain as he stumbled backwards, rubbing the light-sensitive orbs softly to try to clear his vision.

It seemed like an eternity before the boy re-opened his eyes, daring to look at the source.

He gasped, whole-heartedly regretting his earlier actions towards the woman. She was beautiful, with flowing blonde hair cascading towards the center of her back, and bright blue eyes that stared down at the prince in a calm, yet agitated, manner. Her white gown flowed around her, as if pushed by an invisible force.

The prince took a nervous gulp, "Ah, damn. Look you know, when I said that… I really didn't mean it… You… you can stay the night if you wi—_Gah_!"

His reply cut off as he slumped down to his knees and elbows, clutching his head with his hands in pain. In a split second, his eyes dilated, changing from the previous red-brown to a dark, violent purple. His entire body trembled as it slowly began to mutilate and transform. His skin began melting and hardening over and over, slowly turning his skin to a hideous dark green color. A screech resounded through the air as the bones in his face started rearranging itself to the structure of a large lizard. His teeth quickly jutted outwards, forming two rows of huge canines.

As though that wasn't enough, the prince's ears steadily began to soften and extend, while at the same time gliding their way to the top of Kyo's head, nestling themselves in his orange hair, although it was slowly ebbing away.

The final parts of the transformation began to take place as the prince's hands bulged with newfound muscles, sharp claws sprouting from the fingers to match the new size. The previous raspy, pained breathing died down as the transformation ended.

Shaking slightly, the prince looked at his new hands, and the mild shaking quickly turned to trembling as he buried his face in his hands, biting back a shriek that threatened to escape. His eyes widened somewhat as he felt something foreign pressing against his left cheek. Hesitantly, he looked down at his wrist, and a band of black and white prayer beads graced his vision. Confused, he reached out his other hand to touch it, only to receive some sort of shock. He hissed, glaring up at the goddess.

"What the _hell_ did you do to me!"

The Goddess merely stared down at him, a small smile gracing her features. She motioned towards the beads on the princes' wrist, "As long as those are there, you and your castle will be forever cursed; however, if you are able to love before your twenty-first year, and earn their love in return, the curse will be broken…"

The monster trembled with rage, glaring at the goddess in hate. With a blood-curdling screech, he bounded off back into his castle, leaping over the flights of stairs as though they didn't exist.

As the goddess began to fade away, one final line of speech escaped from her mouth:

"Good luck…"

_Kyo…_

Over the years, the prince lost all hope of the curse ever being broken. He began to draw away from the outside world, and barely even came down to eat. He was repulsed by himself, and had begun to slowly feel nothing but hate and contempt towards anyone or anything that came near him.

And thus begins a story of finding love in the most bizarre way possible…

* * *

**L**earn **T**o** L**ove

**C**hapter **O**ne

"**C**rushed **V**isions"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Tohru Honda sighed as she left the building she worked in. It has been a long, hard day for her. First, it was high school. Although she was eighteen, and graduating at the end of the year, she was still picked on by a lot of people – even lower classmen. If it hadn't been for the support of her two friends, she doubted she would have made it this far.

A small, content smile suddenly crossed Tohru's features at the thought of Arisa and Saki crossed her mind. She loved those two; they were always there for her, like older sisters. Whenever she got into a tight spot, they would be there to bail her out. How they did it, Tohru still didn't know. Perhaps it had something to do with Saki's psychic abilities.

Tohru stopped suddenly as she felt herself push into something else. She lifted her head slowly, confused, and instantly toke a step backwards, "O-oh, gomen! I wasn't watching where I was going! Please forgive me!" She bowed quickly, a soft blush of embarrassment crossing over her face. She couldn't believe she had just done that. Sure, she'd developed a reputation as a klutz, but to actually bump into someone? It was more embarrassment than she could bear.

A small, amused chuckle snapped her out of her reverie, "Honda-san, there's no reason to fret. I know it was an accident."

Blinking slowly, Tohru looked up, gasping in surprise as the face of a relatively young man came into view, "Sohma-sensei!" She jumped backwards, bowing to the dark-haired man once more. He smiled mischievously while she wasn't looking before turning back to his usual bored look.

"Please, Honda-san. We're not in school. You may call me Akito. Actually, I would prefer it if you called me Akito," he said, giving the girl a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"H-hai…" Tohru mumbled, nodding her head, "So… Soh- I mean, Akito-san? May I ask what you're doing out here? Ah! Of course, it's not my place to ask! You don't have to answer!" Tohru panicked, bowing repeatedly for her lack of respect.

"Honda-san, calm down. Actually, I was out waiting for you to get off work," Akito responded calmly, waiting to see his student's reaction.

Tohru blinked, glancing up to look at his face, "Eh? Oh… But, how'd you know that I worked here?" She tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows scrunching up as she tried to figure it out on her own.

To answer, Akito reached into his coat and pulled out a slip of paper. Tohru blinked, taking it as he held it out for her, and looked it over. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

"My school registration? How'd you get this? It should still be in the office, where the principal can get it easily…"

The teacher's answer was short and to the point, "I took it."

Tohru's eyes widened slightly, "You… you mean you stole it, Akito-san? But… why? You can get fired for that! I don't want you to loose your job over me!"

Akito shook his head, "Calm down, Honda-san, I'm not concerned about my job as of right now. I'm more concerned about _you_."

Tohru's face turned scarlet as he said that, "Ah, what? A-about me? Why? There's nothing wrong! I'm fine, really!"

A small smile crossed Akito's face as he took a step forward, grasping Tohru by the shoulders roughly, digging his nails into her shoulders. He whispered something then, so low that Tohru wasn't sure of what he said.

"I never said you weren't."

His lips connected with hers roughly, catching the young woman completely by surprise. Unceremoniously, he pried her lips open with his tongue, quickly darting it in and out of her mouth.

When Tohru failed to respond to Akito's forced kiss, he growled, bringing his left hand behind her head to push her in while using his other to grab one of her hands and bring it up to his face.

Tohru blinked, suddenly realizing what was happening. Scared, she began to struggle, attempting to push Akito away with her free hand. She gasped in pain as the nails digging into her shoulder. Realizing she couldn't do anything to stop him, Tohru shut her eyes as they began trembling with held back tears. "_Help…_"

As if on cue, Akito's hands dragged themselves out of Tohru's flesh to grab the back of his head. The man dropped to his knees, air seething through his teeth in pain. Tohru instantly backed up, dropping to her own knees as she tried to recover from the shock of what had just happened.

Arisa Uotani glowered down at Akito, pure hate clearly visible on her face. In a moment of rage, she lifted her lead pipe again, ready to strike the teacher until he was either unconscious, or dead. She was literally hoping for the latter. The soft-spoken voice of Saki Hanajima, however, roused Arisa from her thoughts as she spoke.

"Arisa, don't. He's not worth getting thrown in prison for," the girl warned, hurriedly walking past Akito to see how Tohru was fairing, "Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun."

The girl raised her head slightly in surprise, her tear-filled teal eyes meeting Saki's dark brown ones, "Eh-h? Hana-chan?" Quickly, her gaze shifted over to where Arisa was, her hand resting on the top of her lead pipe, as if giving Akito the silent warning that he better not try anything.

"Uo-chan…? How – why? When?" Tohru stuttered, not quite sure what to say to her rescuers. The ex-Yankee sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair.

"Hana has another one of those 'feelings' she gets when one of us is in trouble," Arisa explained, "Since we were out at the mall together, we knew it had to be you. So, we came running. Looks like we came just in time, too."

Angrily, Arisa once again glared down at Akito, her hand balling into a fist, "If you ever – _ever_ – come near Tohru again, you won't be alive long enough to apologize. Got it, punk?" She growled, not even waiting for an answer as she walked over to Saki and Tohru. Her gaze followed Akito as he slowly stood up and walked across the street and out of sight.

Saki, too, watched, before returning her gaze back towards Tohru, "Tohru-kun…? Come on, Arisa and I will take you home."

Mutely, Tohru nodded, allowing the two girls to support her as she stood up.

* * *

Watching resolutely from the window of a nearby apartment, Akito Sohma's mouth curved into a malicious smirk.

"Seiichi," he called out in a whisper. A teenaged boy quickly hurried to his side, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes as he bowed to the man.

"H-hai, Akito-sama…?" he answered, fear evident in his voice.

"That's the girl. I need her," Akito said, eyeing the boy to watch his reaction. Seiichi's eyes widened, and he looked up at Akito with a disbelieving look in his eyes.

"Honda-san, Akito-sama? I-I don't understand, I mean… she's a klutz, she's not to bright, and she's extremely dense. So, why…?"

"You've answered your own question," Akito calmly replied, his smirk fading as he watched the boy, "She's extremely dense. I can easily manipulate her mind and get her to fall in love with me," the smirk reappeared before he finished, "And by then, she'll be in just as much pain as I am now."

He frowned then, his cold eyes quickly scanning over her two friends.

"Unfortunately, those two are a nuisance. They'll have to be dealt with. Seiichi, I'm leaving it up to you to figure out how."

And he spun around, his kimono trailing behind him as he disappeared from the room. Seiichi stood rooted to the same spot, his eyes wide as they followed the conceited man as he left.

* * *

Tohru had just arrived at her grandfather's house, and was soon trudging her way up the stairs to her room. She heard her two friends shuffling behind her, probably to make sure she didn't fall down the stairs.

As she reached her room, Tohru heard Saki speak one more time.

"Tohru-kun, we're going to travel to a nearby town to find a policeman to arrest Akito; the ones here are too fond of him to believe us. Would you mind if we borrowed Rin and your grandfather's cart to get there?" she asked, resting her left hand lightly on top of Tohru's shoulder.

The girl blinked, glancing at her two friends with shock, "What? A-arrest Sohma-sensei? I- no, we can't… That'd be rude…" she stuttered, shaking her head furiously.

"Tohru-kun, I don't _care _if it's rude or not; that jackass hurt you, and Hana and I are going to do something about it," Uo scoffed, her hands clenching into fists again.

Tohru sighed, "Well, o-okay, Uo-chan… but… be careful…" she murmured, stumbling the rest of her way to her bed, yawning slightly. She heard the door close behind her, and unconsciously, she muttered out two words:

"Be Safe."

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Well, I know that not much happened in this chapter, but I had to cut off the chapter at a reasonable point. I'm sorry there wasn't much on the curse in this chapter, but I thought it would be an overkill to go any farther. Well, I'm going to be at Otakon (an anime convention) for the next three days, so I won't have too much time to type then.

But, on the up side, the voices of Hatsuharu and Ritsu are going to be there – yay! I implore you to review if you read this, and I'll be seeing you again as soon as possible.

- **W**inter **S**apphire


	2. A Beast's Heart

**Author's Note**:

Well, here's the next chapter of Learn To Love. I really do hope you guys enjoy it!

**Disclaimer**:

Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya, and Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o **L**ove

**C**hapter **T**wo

"**A** **B**east's **H**eart"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Tohru was worried. It had been a full twenty-four hours since Akito attacked her; twenty-four hours since Arisa and Saki had left. Of course, she hadn't expected them to have actually gotten to the town and back, especially considering the fact that they were traveling by horse. 

But, still… Uo should have at _least_ called on her cell phone in the morning. She didn't, and Hana hadn't called either. _That's_ what worried her.

That, that is, and the fact that she had deliberately lied to her grandfather about why she was so pale and could not go to school. A cold. That's what she had told him. Fortunately, her grandfather was a lot like her: trusting and open-minded. She knew that he knew it was something more, but he didn't press the matter. In fact, she almost wished he _did_ ask her, just so she could let all the emotions she was feeling loose.

But, even then, Tohru knew she couldn't. She couldn't burden other people with her problems – that would be selfish. She'd much rather keep everything bottled up on the inside, and that's exactly what she would do.

Sighing, Tohru scrunched her knees up to her chest, idly folding her arms over her knees and resting her chin on top of them.

"They'll call soon," she reassured herself in a light whisper, "They've got to…"

* * *

"Aw, hell, Hana!" Arisa cursed, glaring at her friend both in mock anger and frustration, "I _told_ you that we should've took the right turn! But, _no_. You _had_ to go down the darker path! Now, we're _lost_! Argh, this is so _annoying_!" 

Saki merely glanced at her friend as she made her outburst, a small, calm smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Arisa," she replied, "In case you've forgotten, _you're_ the one who told us to go down this path, and _you're _the one with the map." Arisa paled, but a slow and steady smirk started crossing over her face.

"Damn, kid. You're good," she complimented, "But you _are_ my friend, so I guess it all comes naturally from my influence, huh?"

"No, not really."

Arisa frowned, rubbing the back of her neck. Just how did she manage to land two friends that were _completely_ different than her?

"Arisa," Saki's voice snapped Arisa out of her thoughts, and she stopped, making sure to maintain a good grip on Rin's halter.

"Yeah? What is it, Hana? I know _you_ wouldn't stop for anything that was more important than Tohru," Arisa voice was coated in sarcasm, obviously annoyed. Now it was going to take even more time to get through the forest. She glanced up at Saki's face, instantly regretting her remark when she saw the seriousness on it.

"There's something coming. It's moving quickly."

Arisa didn't question her further. Saki's psychic abilities were more than enough proof for her. That is, her psychic abilities and the piercing howl that accompanied the statement. Her eyes widened slightly, and she yelled out one word before the bloodthirsty wolves appeared:

"_Run_!"

And they ran. Arisa immediately let go of Rin's rein, knowing she had a better chance of survival without the two human girls slowing her down. The horse had immediately taken off, the cart bouncing wildly after her.

The Yankee cursed loudly when she heard Saki land on the ground, skidding to a stop and running back to her friend. In a fluid motion, she grabbed the psychic's wrist, forcefully hauling her up before taking off again. Her passenger stumbled behind her, somehow managing to stay on her feet.

A large figure loomed ahead; a figure that invited Arisa, while somehow sending a foreboding feeling to her as well. But, the wolves were catching up. She knew they would; they had four legs, while they only had two. The only thought on her mind was to reach the gate of the castle before the jaws of the canines stopped her.

With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Arisa pulled forward, ignoring the protesting sounds of her friend. There was no turning back now. Closer, closer, closer… At last!

The gate's handles were less than three feet away: within grabbing distance. Her hand grasped for it wildly, clamping around the handle and pulling on it vigorously.

The metal clanged slightly, and Arisa's face paled. The gate was stuck. It was _stuck_.

"Goddamn it, I don't have time for this!" Arisa spat, releasing her hold on Saki grasping the handle with both of her hands. She pulled again, and reluctantly the gate swung open to a crack large enough for both of them to fit through.

"Hana, let's go!" Arisa shouted, once again grabbing the girl by the wrist and dragging her through the gate before flinging the iron bars shut.

Arisa cast a quick glance over towards the wolves. They were leaving. Giving up. She let out a shaky breath, her shoulders slumping as she shifted her gaze towards Saki.

"Hey, Hana… you okay?" she asked then girl next to her. Nonchalantly, she nodded her head as if nothing had happened. A bolt of lightening sped through the sky, followed by a deafening round of thunder as rain began to fall.

Arisa cringed as the first few drops made contact with her skin, and she turned to Saki and motioned with her hand towards the castle.

"C'mon, Hana. I'm sure they'll let us in."

Saki nodded, her gaze drifting to the castle as well. There was something strange about it… something that radiated a sense of apprehension. She shook it off; getting out of the rain before they got sick was the important thing.

* * *

The door of the castle opened with a bang, startling the black canine. His head lifted up from his paws, ears alert. His brown eyes locked on the two figures that entered the building – two small, curvy, _feminine_ figures. 

Shigure's mouth turned up into a toothy grin. Two lovely, young females _here_, of all places. It was too good a chance to resist. The dog stood up on his haunches, stretched, and began a slow-but-perky trot over to the newcomers.

"Arisa." The dark-haired girls' voice caught him by surprise, and he stopped in his tracks. So the blonde's name was Arisa. Shigure was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice the girl had pointed at him.

Arisa let out a small cough, her eyes following Arisa's gaze towards the dog, "Hana," she said, "I don't see anythi- _Hey_! A dog! In here, of all places!"

Shigure bit back the urge to laugh. They thought it was strange for a _dog_ to be here. Unconsciously, his tail began wagging and his tongue dropped out the side of his mouth as the two young ladies approached. What could he say? Old habits died hard. He eyed Arisa's hand anxiously as it made it's way towards the area between his ears, and—

"Ahahaha, Shiguuuuure! Are you hiding these two _guests_ from little ol' me?"

Shigure cringed as Ayame's voice split into his hearing. On any other occasion, he would have been glad to see the snake, but…

Shigure's eyes glanced coolly over to the silver snake quickly slithering his way up to him, "Aya, I was about to get a scratch behind the ear. You've ruined it now. Thanks." The dog pouted slightly, glancing up to the bewildered faces of the two girls. Well, maybe he'd get a laugh out of this after all…

"H-Hana… the dog… just _talked_!" Arisa gawked, "And… I swear I heard another voice in here, too…"

"Over there, Arisa…" Saki pointed at Ayame, and the snake froze, glancing from the two girls to Shigure.

"Shigure… they're _women_! Oh, I never thought I'd see the day! We _must_ tell Lord Ky-"

"_No_, Ayame," a new voice interrupted, "We will _not_ tell that stupid cat anything. Do you understand?"

A small gray rat appeared, glancing coolly at the two girls with his violet eyes.

"I am Yuki, and these two idiots with me are Shigure and Ayame. You two must leave at once – it is not safe here for two young ladies such as yourselves," the rat dubbed Yuki said, turning towards Shigure right after, "And _you_, Shigure. Keep your mouth shut. Get Ritsu to get these two girls something to warm them up. They will stay here until this storm passes, and will then be sent home as quickly as possible. We don't want Kyo to know they're here, so try not to spread the word. That goes for you, too, brother."

The snake had a look on his face as though he was upset, "Aww, Yuki, you're no fun… how is it possible that you're related to the great Ayame?"

"Stop boasting about your stupidity and get moving," Yuki snapped, turning back towards the girls, "Please, follow me."

Arisa glanced over at Saki with the look of utmost astonishment. The psychic's face held it's regular laid-back appearance, but the look in her eyes informed Arisa Saki was just as surprised as she was.

Yuki stopped after a few feet when he noticed the two girls weren't following him. He glanced at them over his shoulder, "We may be animals by appearance, but I can assure you we won't act like them. You've got nothing to be scared of."

Arisa snorted slightly, somewhat hesitant as she began to follow the rat. And she thought the day couldn't get any weirder when hungry wolves were chasing her. Boy, had she been wrong.

So absorbed by her thoughts, Arisa didn't notice the large shadow looming her and Saki from a balcony above. Saki, however, did notice. She glanced up at it, a small sneer forming on her face. The figure gave a small grunt of annoyance, turning away and heading out of sight.

* * *

"_Ahhhh_! I'm so sorry! I'm so, _so_ sorry! I spilt it all over youuu!" 

Arisa watched with humored eyes as the small monkey sobbed uncontrollably. With a small smirk, she patted the monkey on the head.

"Don't worry about it – it was only my shoes. I didn't care about them anyway, uh… Ritsu."

Ritsu blinked, sniffling and saying in a small voice, "… You didn't care about your shoes?" At seeing the Yankee's nod, he burst into even more tears, "Ahhhh! I'm making a big deal about nothing! _Again_! Oh, _please_ Arisa-san, forgive me for being such a nuisance!"

Yuki sighed, placing his head in his paws, "Really, that guy never seems to stop…" he sighed, groaning as Ritsu continued with his dramatic apologies.

A sudden smell wafted into Yuki's nose, causing his face to scrunch up slightly. He breathed outwards, trying to get the horrible smell out of his nose.

"_Why… Why does it smell so… _familiar?" His eyes widened suddenly, and one name came to mind.

_Kyo_.

Kyo was here, watching the two girls… studying them for worthiness. Bewildered, Yuki scanned feverishly over the room. He was here; he was _here_, he was-

He was there. Crouched in the shadows of the corner of the room. The nearby light may have caused the shadow for him to hide in, but it also gave his purple eyes a bit of shine. The eyes quickly darted from the girls to rest on Yuki, and they narrowed. A slow growl escaped from Kyo's throat, and Yuki knew.

He knew Kyo wasn't pleased, and he knew what he was going to do…

"Kyo! _No_!"

Yuki tried to stop him, but it was too late. The beast bounded towards the two girls in a single stride, landing before them with teeth bared and ears folded against his head.

"How _dare_ you invade my castle! You two have such a nerve!" he snarled, ignoring the shocked and frightful faces of the two young women. Angrily, he reached out and grabbed them, hoisting them over his shoulders.

Even Saki's electric waves couldn't do anything to this great beast as he carried them up the stairs and threw them forcefully into a confined, barred room, slamming the door shut.

"You will rot in my dungeon for your blatant ignorance for the rest of your worthless lives!"

* * *

Tohru bit her lip. Something was wrong – she could feel it in her gut. Hesitantly, she stepped outside into the cool morning air, the sun just barely peaking over the horizon. She glanced around. All seemed safe… so it was okay to go outside, right? 

Tohru was still shaken from her encounter with Akito, but her anxiety had more to do with the fact that Arisa and Saki still hadn't called. It had been over forty-eight hours. You'd think…

Her mind cut off as she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Standing beside the house, glistening from sweat as if she had been running a long distance was Rin. The beautiful chocolate-brown was staring at her with wide, fearful blue eyes.

And Tohru realized – Arisa and Saki weren't there with Rin. She had come back alone. Her friends were in trouble.

Brushing aside her skittish feelings, a look of determination crossed Tohru's face as she ran up to Rin and detached the cart from her saddle, quickly putting her foot in the stirrup and getting into a riding position.

She may not have ever done this before, but she knew that she had to do something to help Arisa and Saki.

"Rin, go! Go back to Hana-chan and Uo-chan!"

The horse whinnied, pawing at the ground before taking off in a fast canter towards the woods, disappearing into the trees.

* * *

**A**uthor's **N**otes:

I think I can understand what everyone who is reading this thought when I updated: Oh my _God_, she _updated_! Well, I'd like to apologize for the delay. After Otakon, I started this, but then school came, and… I think you get it, especially when I have two Honors English courses. To be perfectly honest, I went from two pages to six pages in the past two days, just for you guys. Darn no-responding-to-your-reviewers rule. I'd really like to! Well, thank you _all_ then! Ha! Ban _that_, Fanfiction staff, I _dare_ you!

Well, I really hope you guys will forgive me! Go blame my school! Please!

- **W**inter **S**apphire


	3. Agreement

**Author's Note**:

Well, here's the next chapter of Learn To Love. Let's hope this one gets up in a less amount of time than the last one, eh?

**Disclaimer**:

I don't own Fruits Basket (Natsuki Takaya) _nor_ Beauty and the Beast (Disney), although I do own the series/movie.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o **L**ove

**C**hapter **T**hree

"**A**greement"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Tohru bit back a gasp of awe as the enormous castle loomed ahead of her, shadowing the land as far as she could see.

She sighed, urging Rin forward, "Come on, Rin… I'm sure if they're anywhere, they'll be in the only shelter for miles."

The gates opened rather smoothly, despite their rusted appearance, as if they had been opened recently. It was quite unnerving, considering the castle seemed to be deserted. There were no guards, no maids… just dead leaves and dirt.

With her nerves threatening to send her into an unconscious heap on the ground, Tohru quickly dismounted Rin, closing the gate behind her.

"Rin," she whispered, gently caressing the horses nose, "Stay here and wait for me, okay?" The horse gave a slight snort in response, which was enough for Tohru.

Turning towards the entrance of the castle, Tohru took a hasty step forward, muttering non-comprehendible words under her breath as she did to help calm her down. She felt like a bundle of nerves as she reached to grab the handle, and her sickly pale skin was enough to prove that.

Mustering up all of her courage, Tohru pulled back, and the door swung open with a bang.

The inside of the castle wasn't any less intimidating. If anything, it only caused her to shake more violently.

It was just as deathly silent as it was outside, but she could feel someone – or, rather, some_thing_- watching her.

And, if possible, she began to shake even more.

"U-Uo-chan… Hana-chan…?" she breathed out, barely in a whisper. Something stirred in the shadows, and her eyes quickly darted over to it. Nothing. It had been her imagination.

A shadow moved again, and Tohru found herself holding her breath as it ascended up a flight of stairs. She hadn't imagined _that_. Against her better judgment, Tohru found herself chasing the silhouette.

What awaited her was not what she expected. The room was… well, bland, to say the least. There was only one window, sending a ray of light shining into the room from the outside, illuminating the rows of barred doors against the farthest wall. Hesitantly, she closed the door behind her with a thud, flinching slightly at the eerie sound it created and silently thankful it had already been opened when she had first arrived.

A small voice caught Tohru's attention, "Tohru-chan…? Is that you?" Tohru started, jerking her teal eyes to look towards the voice. A girl was in a cell, a girl that looked awfully familiar.

Suddenly, it hit her, and Tohru quickly ran over to her weak looking friend, "Uo-chan! Oh, are you okay! I knew I shouldn't have let you go! Who put you in there? _Why_ were you put in there, even? Oh, I need to get you out! Where's Hana? Is she okay?" She paused for a moment in her ranting, her eyebrow furrowing up in thought before she continued, "Aren't dungeons supposed to be _below_ the castles, not… well, _above_ them?"

Arisa bit back a groan. This was doing no good for her headache, "Tohru… please… I don't know why… Or _who_, for that matter… Just… get out."

"Eh?" Tohru blinked, tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion.

"There's… there's something in here. In this castle. I… I didn't get a good look at it, but it's not human! You have to get out of here, before it gets you, too!"

Tohru's eyebrow furrowed. Not human? Was Uo going crazy? "What are you talking about, Uo-chan?"

"A cat." Hana's voice suddenly cut into the darkness, starting Tohru.

"Hana-chan? You're okay, too?" Tohru felt immediately relieved as Saki's pale face came into view. She had been hiding in the shadows.

"A cat," Saki repeated again, her eyes quickly darting towards the stairwell before she emphasized, "It… _he_, I mean. He moved like a cat: cocky, arrogant, self-centered-"

"Surely, you don't mean _that_," a snarling voice interrupted, causing Tohru to whirl around and stare with wide eyes towards where it came from. She hadn't heard anyone coming up the stairs, let alone open the heavy wooden door and close it again.

Tohru's eyes squinted slightly as she attempted to see through the darkness, but the stream of light blocked the darkness behind it from view.

"What… who are you? Why did you… why did you lock up my- my friends?" she stammered, unnerved with the fact that he could see her, but she couldn't see him.

The answering voice sounded even harsher, "You dare to question _me_, you ignorant woman! _You_ have invaded my property, so I'll be the one asking the questions!" Tohru flinched involuntarily at the harsh tone of his voice, pressing her back up against the barred prison of her friends. The tone of his voice quickly changed, as though he felt pity for her. He spoke in a soft voice, "Understand?"

She nodded mutely, squeezing her eyes shut in fright. Why was he so harsh… just because she was looking for her friends?

The man coughed, clearing his throat, "Right then. Why are _you_ here? Who are you?" He asked, the arrogant drawl in his voice less noticeable. Tohru couldn't help but relax slightly, letting her eyes open back up to the darkness.

"I… my name is Tohru," she whispered, "Tohru Honda, and… and…" she paused, taking in a shaky breath before continuing, "And I'm not going to say anymore until I can see who… who you are."

* * *

_And I'm not going to say anymore until I can see who… who you are._

The mind repeated over and over again in Kyo's mind. His nostrils flared slightly in anger and frustration.

"Who do you think you are, woman?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes to slits. He heard her shudder slightly before she continued.

"I… well, I can't see you… It… it makes me a little bit… un-uncomfortable?"

_She sounds uncomfortable_, Kyo thought, snorting slightly at the way she appeared so weak, "Fine, _Honda-san_," he spat her name in disgust. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he took a step forward out of the enshrouding darkness and into the stream of dim light in front of him.

In reality, it took only a second. But for Kyo, it seemed like it took too long. In the past forty-eight hours, three people had seen him – which was three more than how many had seen him in the previous three years.

"It's pathetic," sneered Kyo, "That you wish to see what everyone else loathes."

He was engulfed in light, the ugly vomit-colored skin surrounding his narrow head appearing first. His deep purple eyes glinted in a mixture of emotions, observing Tohru to see her response as the rest of his body became visible.

To his surprise, the look on Tohru's face didn't resemble disgust. It seemed to be more of… shock. Sure, there was a little fear… but she wasn't disgusted by what she saw.

Kyo snorted slightly, ruffling his ears like a bird would its feathers. He glanced away, exhaling through his nostrils.

"Tell you what… I'll let them go-"

Tohru cut him off, letting out a squeal of delight, "Oh, thank you! Thank you! You don't know how much that means to me!" She turned around, grinning her rather silly grin at them, "Hana-chan, Uo-chan, we can go home!"

"I wasn't finished!" Kyo bellowed, causing Tohru to whirl around and face the beast's body again. He glowered slightly, twitching as if trying to keep his calm. He took a deep breath, before turning his sight back on Tohru and keeping her eyes locked with his.

"_They_ can go. However, _you _have to stay."

* * *

Shigure watched from the shadows at the scene before him: the protesting cries of this girl – this Tohru's – friends and Kyo ordering them out of the room as the young woman huddled herself in a corner. It was an agreement.

A small smile tugged at his lips. It was about time.

* * *

**A**uthor's **N**ote:

I'm so sorry for the gap between updates! I had totally forgotten to work on this with school, art, piano, et cetera… Yeah. Review! And forgive me! Oh, and I'm sorry for changing my username on some of you (i.e. Lil' Tapioca Sunshine ;). My friend's dog just has a smooth running name, doesn't she? Winter Sapphire. Such a good name.

- **W**inter **S**apphire


	4. Wish I Could Tell

**Author's Note**:

I hate writer's block.

**Disclaimer**:

… Use your heads, people. I am Natsuki Takaya. Duh. That's why I'm writing this.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o** L**ove

**C**hapter **F**our

"Wish I Could Tell"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Akito had been sitting at his classroom desk for three hours now. Three hours after his students had left. His eyes held a sort of fiery anger in them as he glanced at the attendance for the day.

Tohru Honda: absent. Arisa Uotani: absent. Saki Hanajima: absent. It was consecutive, and it infuriated him almost beyond his control.

Almost. The man was still able to control his unending temper, which was lucky for any messenger boy that could stop by his room at any time.

Akito let out a sigh through his nostrils, leaning back in his chair and recalling the events of the previous day.

So, he had a plan. And it seemed to be working until right then.

He was glad Tohru was absent. It was the fact that her two friends were absent along with her. It made him feel queasy, and that was a feeling Akito Sohma did not enjoy.

He didn't enjoy it at all. It made him feel weak – weaker than he already was because of his persistent illness.

He just hoped that things would work out for him in the end, for at the moment there was nothing he could do.

* * *

Tohru awoke with a start, her heart beating rapidly and sweat droplets forming on her forehead.

She'd been having nightmares about Akito ever since he had attacked her. Letting out a small whimper, she pulled the sheets of her bed up to her chin, staring at the strange room around her.

It scared her, that was for sure. It was strange, and she was here against her own will. Yet…

It was strangely comforting. True, she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days. She was constantly tired, but… the creature that had taken her – this… "man" (she supposed she could call him that) – had done his best to make her comfortable, and she truly did appreciate his gestures, knowing he at least meant well.

Even with that unfathomable temper of his.

A sudden scraping sound on the door snapped the young woman out of her reverie, causing her head to shoot towards the door.

In a small voice, she called out, "Who is it?"

The voice of a young boy piped up, a playful ring in it, "Princess Tohru, I have breakfast! Master Kyo said you were sleeping, but I knew you weren't so I brought it!"

Tohru tilted her head slightly to the side, "Err… you may come in."

There was silence for about a minute, before the voice spoke again, "I… uh… can you open the door, Princess Tohru? I can't turn the knob."

Tohru couldn't stop herself from giggling to herself at being called a princess as she stood up and walked towards the door, "Just call me Tohru."

A slightly sad smile lighting up her face as she opened the door, though it quickly turned to surprise.

She had expected to see a little boy, maybe of about ten years old, waiting for her. But… instead, a small, crème colored rabbit was there, grinning at her from the head of your average dairy cow.

"Momiji, give the girl her food and let's leave her be."

Well… maybe not so average. Tohru had to fight to keep her mouth from hanging open.

"Ex… excuse me?" she squeaked, trying to find her voice, "Did you… I mean… did you just… _talk_?" She nearly slapped herself right after that; how could she have been so rude?

The rabbit – apparently named Momiji – blinked, tilting his head to the side, "You mean you don't know?" At the blank look on her face, the cow coughed slightly.

"This castle is cursed," he stated shortly, his gray eyes looking off to the side, "And it's been cursed for years. It's our family's estate, and we were all caught up in it." Momiji sighed.

"Haru has no sense of judgment when it comes to blurting things out..."

Tohru's eyes widened, and she glanced from Haru to Momiji, "I… you were turned into animals?" she whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself. The cow and rabbit glanced at each other briefly before turning their gaze back towards Tohru.

"Please, Tohru," Haru sighed, glancing over to his side, "Sit down and eat. We'll explain."

At the sight of Momiji about to open his mouth, Hatsuharu quickly added, "I'll explain. And _you_, Momiji, will stay quiet."

The rabbit's ears folded down over themselves, "Haru, you've been hanging around Hatori too much..."

* * *

"... and so we've been like this ever since," Hatsuharu finished, his tail flicking about behind him.

"... And so you don't know how you can change back?" Tohru whispered, feeling tears stinging at the corner of her eyes.

The cow sent a long look at Momiji, finding the rabbit's red-brown eyes staring straight back at them at what Kyo had said before.

"_Don't tell her anything about how she might be the key to unlocking the cure to our curse... If she knows, it could ruin our chances of ever being human again."_

And so, Hatsuharu turned back towards this girl – this Tohru Honda – and muttered in a low voice, "I wish we could tell you."

* * *

**Author's Note**: I really am sorry that it's been a while since I updated, and that this chapter is so short. I thought this was a good place to end it. As for why I haven't updated in a while, Microsoft Word has been acting up, so just today I decided I might as well try to download Open Office. It works (thank God) and I was finally able to finish this chapter.

The good news? I've come up with an interesting twist to this story upon listening to the song 'Learn to be Lonely' from The Phantom of the Opera. And I'm thinking of changing the title to that, too. What's my idea? I'm not going to say, but I assure you it'll be much different than that of what you might expect.


	5. Would You Like Some Tea?

**Author's Note**:

Sorry it's been so long. nn;

**Disclaimer**:

I don't own Fruits Basket. Or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o **L**ove

**C**hapter **F**ive

"Would You Like Some Tea?"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Tohru Honda awoke with a start. Her eyes darted wildly about the room, taking everything in: the fancy bed she was in, the blackout curtains that were just separated slightly to let a small stream of light flow into the room, the antique furniture... 

And then it all came back. Hana, Uo, the castle, Rin, Akito, and... animals. Her eyebrow furrowed. Yes, animals – talking ones. And they'd said the castle was cursed.

_Well, that explains why the master of this place is so... odd_. Tohru concluded. At least, she assumed he was the master. He acted like one.

Her eyes had focused now, and though she was still tired, she sat up. She glanced over to a table set up against the wall opposite her, noticing a simple dress laying on it. Throwing the covers off, she stood up. Slowly, she walked over to it, picking it up and holding it out in front of her with two hands, examining it.

It was plain, a simple yellow color with white edgings around the base of the arms and around the neck. A large bow was on the back of it, probably for looks.

Tohru glanced over at the window, where the beam of sunlight illuminated the room just slightly, before turning her attention back towards the dress. With a soft, nervous smile, she put it on.

* * *

Yuki's nose flicked slightly in a calm annoyance as he waited outside the new arrival's room. Kyo should have just let them go. As much as Yuki wanted to be human again, he couldn't stand the fact that Kyo was keeping someone here against their free will. That was no way to make someone fall in love. 

Or, he assumed so at least. It wasn't like Yuki had any first-hand experience with it himself, but from what he did know, it was wrong.

The soft creak of the bedroom door caught the rat's attention, and Yuki perked his head up. The girl, Honda Tohru he believed her name was, slowly creeped out, cautious but still curious as to where she was. He could tell she was scared, but he also found himself admiring the bravery she had for agreeing to stay here.

Deciding to get her attention, the rat cleared his throat, "Excuse me, Honda-san?"

Tohru jumped, twirling around and staring in the direction Yuki's voice had come from, a confused look passing over her face as nothing came in her line of sight. Yuki couldn't help but smile slightly at her.

"On the floor, Honda-san," The rat guided her, and soon his eyes were looking up into hers.. Tohru blinked slowly.

"Uhh... hi?" she squeaked out, daring to bend down to get closer to him, "You're like the rabbit and cow, aren't you?" she asked him, and Yuki nodded.

"Yes, I'm cursed as well," he answered truthfully, "You aren't scared of rats, are you?"

"No!" Tohru protested quickly and a little too loudly, a deep blush crossing over her face, "Well, maybe. A little. B-but, you're not scary, so I'm okay."

Yuki's tail quirked in amusement, and he nodded, "Good to know, Honda-san. Now, would you like a tour of the manor?"

For the umpteenth time that morning, Tohru blinked in surprise.

* * *

"No." 

"Oh, Hatori, you are no fun! Let me stay!" Shigure pleaded fruitlessly, pawing at the doctor.

"And even as a dog, you're just as annoying," Hatori glared at Shigure with his one good eye, "_No_."

"And you're just as mean as ever," Shigure pouted, "Why can't I stay? I promise I won't bite..."

"Because," Hatori said sharply, "I am the _only_ other human in this entire place, and I need to speak to our guest like that. Human to human. No animals allowed."

"But why?" Shigure questioned, and Hatori sighed in frustration.

"Kyo says it will make her feel safer here," Hatori conceded, and the dog rolled his eyes. "I know," Hatori added, "It isn't going to matter, but 'what Kyo says, Kyo gets,' right?"

"Fine," Shigure muttered, "But I don't have to be happy with it?"

"No," Hatori told him, "You don't. Now go bother Ayame"

"Fine," Shigure grinned a toothy dog grin, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Ha'ri!" he called back to him as he trotted out the door.

Hatori stared after him, his eye holding a placidly bored tone to it as he corrected Shigure's statement to himself, "I won't do anything you _would_ do."

* * *

"And this..." Yuki said, motioning to the isolated door on the other side of the manor, "Is where I leave you." 

"Leave me?" Tohru repeated, "Why?"

"Because my cousin, Hatori, is on the other side of that door," Yuki answered before adding, "Kyo wants you to ask him any questions you might have about this place. Hatori also wants to look you over."

"Look me over?" Tohru asked softly.

"Oh, he's a doctor," Yuki explained, "Don't worry, he just wants to make sure you're not suffering any emotional or physical damage. "

"But he's an animal?" Tohru was confused again, "How is an animal supposed to perform a checkup on me?"

"Actually, Hatori's-"

"Human," a new voice drifted out from the now open doorway, as the mysterious form of Hatori Sohma appeared, "You are Tohru Honda-san, yes?" He reminded her a _lot_ of Akito... By instinct, Tohru took a step back, but stopped. _I'm being silly_, she told herself, before bowing slightly.

"H-hai, I am," she nodded, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Hatori-sama."

"I wish we didn't have to meet in these circumstances, Honda-san," Hatori told her honestly, before turning his attention towards Yuki, "It's all right, you can go. Try to make sure Shigure and your brother aren't causing too much mayhem. Take some time to relax. You've been worrying yourself lately, and it isn't healthy."

Yuki nodded absently and bid goodbye to Hatori and Tohru before scampering off.

Hatori turned his attention back towards Tohru, and gestured for her to step inside his office, "Now, would you like some tea?"

* * *

Oh my God, I can't believe I actually wrote the next chapter. I'm so, so, so, so, so so so sorry it's been so long since the last update! Over a year, if I'm not mistaken. But I haven't given up, I promise! Well, I'm 16, almost 17 now, in 11th grade, and deciding I'm going to major in English when college comes 'round, and minor in drama. How quickly things come into place, huh? 

I'm sorry there was no Kyo in this chapter, and I'm fairly certain the next chapter will focus mainly on the conversation between Tohru and Hatori, but I promise (unless something like this happens again, which I sincerely hope it doesn't) after that there will definitely be some Kyo – Tohru interaction. Of course, remember, everything takes a little time, so we have to get past the first hurdle of friendship first. :)

Please, please, please review! I missed you guys!

- **W**inter **S**apphire (aka the worst updater ever)


	6. Master Of The House

**Author's Note**:

How's this for more regular?

**Disclaimer**:

I don't own Fruits Basket. Or Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o** L**ove

**C**hapter **S**ix

"Master Of The House"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Tohru hesitantly followed Hatori inside of the office. This man didn't seem to be able to harm anyone, but he was also slightly... strange. Mysterious, even.

Slowly, Tohru prompted a question, "Uh... Hatori-sama-"

"The –sama is not necessary, Honda-san," Hatori told her as he rearranged some papers on his counter in order to make room for the tea pot.

Tohru nodded, "Hatori-san...?" She tried again, and Hatori nodded for her to continue, "Hatori-san, if I'm not prying too much, why... why aren't you..."

"An animal?" Hatori finished for her, and seeing Tohru's nod of affirmation, he explained, "I was out in town that day, stocking up medical supplies and visiting a regular patient of mine, to check up on him. When I came back, imagine my surprise at what I found."

"So, you're not cursed?" Tohru asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Hatori conceded, pouring some water into the kettle, "When I came back, it fell under my duty to take care of them, because they sure can't do it for themselves."

Tohru frowned slightly in confusion, "What do they eat?"

"For the most part, the human counter-part of their animal selves. Hatsuharu won't eat meat anymore, especially cow," Hatori explained, and Tohru recalled the black and white dairy cow that had visited her yesterday evening, "But he will eat carrots, lettuce, apples – fruits and vegetables, for the most part, though I have seen several of the family sneaking desserts. Most are still kids, after all."

Hatori sat down as the tea boiled, opening up a nearby drawer and rifling through it, "Now, would you mind very much if I checked your health? I promise it won't be very long."

"Nooo! Ha'ri, don't give Princess Tohru needles! Shii-chan says how much they hurt! No needles, no needles!" A small voice piped out, panicked. Tohru smiled, recognizing the voice as the rabbit from yesterday.

"Momiji," Hatori frowned, standing up and walking to where the voice had come from. He reached behind the garbage bin in the corner, pulling Momiji up by the scruff of his neck. The little rabbit was kicking furiously, eyes wide.

"You can't give her the needles, Ha'ri! How could you?!" he wailed. Hatori let out a barely audible sigh, walking back to Tohru and placing Momiji down between them.

"I was never _going_ to give her needles, Momiji. Did Shigure tell you to spy on me?" Hatori asked, and Momiji sniffled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, he said, 'Keep an eye on Ha'ri, you never know when he's gonna stick a needle in poor Tohru-san,' the rabbit stated proudly from memory, "Then he went on about a story where you stuck him with a huge needle that hurt him for weeks."

Hatori's expression darkened at Shigure's choice of words, and the meaning he had no doubt was behind it, "The only reason that hurt was because he wouldn't stand still," he clarified for Momiji, "It was his own fault."

"That's not what Shii-chan says..." Momiji said, his ears folded down.

"Shigure says a lot of things," Hatori reasoned, and Momiji tilted his head to the side slightly as he thought about that. Eventually, the yellow rabbit nodded.

The tea pot on the stove started to let out a shrill cry, and Hatori stood up, opening the door. "Now, Momiji, please leave so I can talk with Honda-san in peace," the doctor ordered. Momiji opened his mouth to protest, but Hatori cut him off, "No buts. Now."

Sighing in defeat, the rabbit nodded, hopped down off the table, and scampered out of the room. Hatori shut it again before walking over to the kettle, "Now, where were we?"

"You said something about a... a check-up?" Tohru offered meekly, and Hatori nodded.

"Right. Just a rudimentary process, checking to see if there's any type of medicine you need that we don't have and such," Hatori told her.

"Oh, but I don't need any medicine," Tohru protested, "I'm fine, really. There's nothing wrong. Don't waste your money on-"

"Honda-san," Hatori cut her off, "Just let me check. There's no harm in that, right?"

"I... I guess not," Tohru conceded, and Hatori let himself smile a little.

"All right," Hatori proceeded to get his medical tools – his stethoscope and a small flashlight. Placing the stethoscope in his ears, he handed the end to Tohru, "Put that over your heart, while I check your eyes, will you?"

"I... sure," Tohru spoke softly, doing as Hatori asked. She stiffened just slightly as the doctor leaned closer to her face to get a better look at her eyes with the light.

Hatori frowned subtly at that, noting how her heart rate also seemed to pick up, as if in fear, "Honda-san, are you all right?" he asked as he pulled away, noting how pale the young lady had become.

"Fine," Tohru forced, a little too quickly, "Just fine. I told you, th-there's absolutely nothing wrong." Hatori's frown deepened, a little more obviously, and Tohru shifted uncomfortably, and she explained, "I'd rather not talk about it, if that's all right..."

Hatori nodded, "It's fine, but remember: you _can_ trust me. Whatever is bothering you, when you're ready, you can talk to me – or anyone else in this house. For the most part."

"Thank you, Hatori-san," Tohru told him thankfully, in the relief of not having to explain herself.

Hatori nodded, "Do you have any more questions?"

Tohru pondered on this for a minute, wracking her brain for something – anything – she thought was important. She knew that the cure of the curse was unknown, and she also knew what kind of food the others preferred, Suddenly, she blinked, and gave Hatori a nod of confirmation, "Just one."

"And that would be...?" Hatori prompted.

"Could I meet the master of the house?"

* * *

Look, look. I'm getting better at updating! I thank the entire TWO people who reviewed last chapter, Guy Alice and Deliahgirl. I know I might be a little gringy here, but I love reviews, and those two were so dear to me... but, if you read it, is it so hard to simply press the little review button and type out a small thought on what you think? It really helps me as a writer and – (coughwinknudgecough) – inspires me to write more.

So, remember, **IF YOU READ, REVIEW**.

Thank you. :)

- **W**inter **S**apphire


	7. Dumbfounded

**Author's Note**:

Next chapter on the way. :)

**Disclaimer**:

Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya, and Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o **L**ove

**C**hapter **S**even

"Dumbfounded"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Tohru could feel her chest constricting in anxiety as Hatori led her through the castle. _Why_ had she wanted to do this? _Why_?!

"Okay, a couple of things you should know before talking to Kyo," Hatori said as they walked, and Tohru nodded, "One: _don't_ look him in the eye. He takes that as if you doubt his power."

"Okay," Tohru nodding, swallowing thickly in her nervousness.

"Two: Even though you haven't heard me do this, whenever you're in his presence, add –sama to the end of his name, not –san, or –kun. He's got the kind of personality that needs respect."

"Respect," Tohru repeated, nodding firmly, "Okay, got it."

"Good," Hatori told her, "Now one last thing: do _not_ shudder, gasp, gag, squirm, or anything of the sort, when you're looking at him. It would be safer to look in his eyes than do that. He's a little... self-conscious."

Tohru recalled the creature she had seen before. That was Kyo, right? It all seemed to make sense...

"Hatori-san?" Tohru said, "Can I ask one more question?"

Hatori nodded, "Yes, but make it quick. We're almost to his chambers."

"Why did the maiden, or... goddess... whichever... I can't remember... _why_ did she curse this castle?"

Hatori frowned, "Well, we never got a straight answer out of Kyo. He doesn't talk to us unless he has to, or wants something, but I'd assume his temper had something to do with it."

"Temper?" Tohru asked, frowning and trying to recall their encounter, "He's got a bad temper?"

"Oh, _horrible_," A new voice popped up, and Tohru's attention was drawn towards it. A small boar had started trotting along beside them, "But I love him for it! I can deal with his temper!"

"Kagura, what are you doing here?" Hatori asked, eyeing her.

"Well," the boar piped, "I was just coming along to make sure this new girl didn't steal _my_ Kyo!"

Tohru frowned incomprehensively, "'Steal him'?"

"Steal his _heart_, silly! All his devotion must be to me!" Kagura harrumphed, and she quieted down slightly, "So... so you aren't going to steal him from me, are you?"

"No, of course not," Tohru told the Kagura earnestly, "Why would I do that?"

"Because-"

"Kagura!" Hatori snapped, and the boar closed her mouth in surprise, "You've got your answer, now go. You can talk to Honda-san _later_."

"H-hai," The boar seemed meek before Hatori's annoyance, and she sauntered away as fast as her short legs would carry her.

Tohru turned towards Hatori as Kagura scampered off, "Hatori-san... why did... did... Kagura-san?" She questioned herself continued, "Why did Kagura-san ask me that question?"

"Because she's fawned over him since they were kids," Hatori scowled slightly, "You have to remember that everyone here was once human, even Kyo."

Tohru nodded mutely, taking the opportunity of silence to take a good look at the architecture of the inside of the castle. It was... dusty, to say the least. Tohru scrunched her nose slightly as she took in all the dust and cobwebs. _I wonder how different this place would look if someone actually _cleaned_ once in a while._ _Why, I bet with a little elbow grease it'll look-_

"Honda-san," Hatori's voice snapped Tohru out of her thoughts, and she quickly swiveled her head to look at him.

"H-hai, Hatori-san?"

"There's one more thing you should know about Kyo," Hatori told her.

Tohru felt confusion, fear, dread, passing over her, as if whatever Hatori was about to say would _mean_ something to her, have some sort of significance to her. Tohru swallowed the newfound lump in her throat, and nodded meekly for Hatori to continue.

"Don't touch the band on his left wrist," Hatori advised her, "He's very sensitive about it." Hatori looked up with his eye, and stopped. Tohru did as well, finding in front of her two tall, onyx-colored, polished wooden doors in front of her. They were decorated with various animals; a dog here, a rabbit there… a tiger, a sheep, an ox-

Tohru blinked, recalling one of her favourite childhood stories, "The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac…" She muttered to herself, and Hatori nodded.

"Yes. We've found that everyone here has transformed into one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. If I had been here, I would have filled one of the three spots left." Hatori turned his focus back towards the door, "He knows we're here. Are you ready?"

Tohru turned to look at Hatori in alarm, "You're not coming in with me?"

Hatori shook his head, "No, I have work to do. You'll be fine on your own, Honda-san. Just be yourself, and _remember_." Hatori enunciated the last word, gave Tohru a significant look, and walked away.

Tohru watched Hatori leave, waiting for his form to disappear around the corner before she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She heard a grunt from inside, which she took as a signal for her to come in.

Tohru opened the door slowly, pushing it inwards. It wasn't as heavy as it looked, so it easily swung open for her to enter.

"Um… h-hello, Master Kyo-sama? Hatori-san told me to enter. I… I hope I'm not… intruding?"

The room was dark, and Tohru had to squint in order to even see where large pieces of furniture were. She sneezed slightly at the dust she could feel surrounding her, and her eyes scanned for Kyo's form.

"Kyo-sama?" Tohru repeated, wringing her hands together behind her back as she took another step forward, "It's, ah, it's Tohru Honda… Are you here? Hatori-san said you were here."

Out of the corner of her eye, something moved. Tohru instinctively turned her body to face it – or, rather, _him_. In the hazy darkness, she found herself staring face-to-face with the silhouette of the creature she had seen upon first arriving. She stared at him, unblinking, for a couple of seconds.

Kyo shrunk back slightly as Tohru looked him in the eye, and as soon as she realized what she had done, Tohru gasped and turned her face away, turning a dark shade of crimson. Inadvertently, her nose scrunched as a horrible smell passed by her, and Tohru was glad to have been facing away from the master of the manor.

"Are you repulsed by what you saw?" The deep, raspy voice of Kyo asked. Tohru could sense the barely restrained anger in it, and the girl quickly shook her head.

"I-Iie. No, Master Kyo-sama. I just… wasn't expecting… didn't plan on… didn't know…" Tohru stammered, unsure of what to say.

Kyo couldn't help but quirk a lip in amusement, but his temper overruled that feeling as he dug his claws into the chair beside him, ripping it slightly and exposing the foam inside, "Didn't expect to see something so _hideous_, eh? How about that smell? Only _strong_ emotions release it."

"I…" Tohru trailed off, uncomfortable, scared, and regretful.

"You what?" Kyo snarled, "Made a horrible mistake looking for your worthless friends? Regret ever coming upon this _wretched_ castle, with this _wretched,_ _ugly_ creature inside." Anger almost seemed to emanate from him, radiating around the room and making Tohru feel hot. Her head swirled as he continued snarling and growling, yelling and scoffing. Almost desperate, Tohru yelled out the only thing she could think of.

"Thank you!"

"-did I even let you in here in the first – what?" Kyo's purple eyes widened, turning into a soft crimson colour. He stared at Tohru, her hands clasped in front of her, her head bowed, her entire body shaking, her hair loose and framing her face, "What did you just say?"

"Th-thank you, Kyo-sama, for… for letting my friends go free when I asked, even though you said I had to stay here. I would much rather prefer it to be me than them. Hana and Uo are my family – well, besides my grandfather, but he's…" Tohru trailed off, gathering her thoughts back, "And… and thank you for giving me a room to stay in, instead of the dungeon. I mean, I did impose, and I guess I _did_ break in… b-but, thank you. Thank you."

Kyo stared at her, dumbfounded. This girl… was _thanking_ him for keeping her prisoner? Why? What was wrong with her? If he were in her place, Kyo would have yelled, screamed, bit, punched- anything to get away. And here she was – _thanking him_, of all things.

The smell emanating from his disappeared almost instantly. Realizing this, the beast panicked, and ordered a hasty, "Get out."

Tohru raised her head quickly to look at him, her eyes wide, and Kyo saw the flushed yet pale face of her staring at him with confusion, "What?"

His eyes once again purple, Kyo snarled, coming once again face-to-face with her, and growled in Tohru's face, "Get _out_ of my room!" Here eyes were wide, and she didn't move. Desperate, Kyo raised his voice as high as it would go and roared out, "_NOW_!"

Tohru wasn't going to stand there any longer. Desperate to escape his anger, she ran, and ran fast – around corners, up stairs, until she found the room she had woken up in. Slamming the door behind her, Tohru jumped in her bed and started to cry, sobbing softly into her pillow until she fell asleep.

* * *

Whew, there we go! Finished chapter seven! Sorry this one took a little longer, but hey! At least it's better than a year, eh? _And_ it's longer. Anyway, I hope you Christians out there had a good Easter, you students out there had a good spring break, or maybe you're still having one (unlike me), or if you're neither, just had a good time doing whatever.

Remember: Reviews are love! If you read it, _please_ try to review it! It really means a lot to me, and does inspire me to write more.

Lots of love!

- **W**inter **S**apphire


	8. Let's Get Cooking!

**Author's Note**:

Here we go again...

**Disclaimer**:

Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya, and Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney.

* * *

**L**earn **T**o **L**ove

**C**hapter **E**ight

"Let's Get Cooking"

**B**y: **W**inter **S**apphire

* * *

Kyo paced in his room, occasionally glancing out the window and into the woods outside. He looked tired, as if he could collapse at any second.

"Why?" he hissed the question to the air, "Why did I yell at her like that?"

"_Because_," a voice told him, _"Because it's all you know how to do_." Kyo growled slightly, swatting at the air.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snarled at himself. He could almost _feel_ the voice smirking at him, and Kyo hated it.

"_You've always been angry_," it said, "_And you don't know how to act anyway else. Then she thanked you, and it surprised you_."

Kyo felt like all the energy he had was drained out of him, and he collapsed onto the torn couch, drifting off to sleep. "But why'd she _thank_ me?"

Shigure watched as Kyo fell into a fitful sleep. "Because," the dog said, "That's all _she_ knows how to do." Shigure glanced over beside him, where Yuki was sighing slightly, pressing a paw against his forehead, "It looks like they both have something to learn."

"It would appear so," Yuki said, sighing slightly, "Perhaps we should go check on Honda-san?"

"Perhaps," Shigure agreed, standing up and shaking himself slightly before nosing the door open, "Rats first."

"Thanks," Yuki said sarcastically, scampering out of the room, Shigure trotting light-heartedly at his heels.

* * *

Tohru had coasted into sleep fitfully, but once she fell asleep she was calm, in a dreamless sleep that renewed the energy she had lost. When she woke up she walked over to the bookcase in the room, and in an attempt to get her mind off of everything that had happened, she picked up a book and started reading.

Or, attempted to. In all honesty, as she flipped each page to get to the next, she couldn't even remember the title.

That was how Shigure and Yuki found her: her nose pressed in a book she wasn't even reading.

"Honda-san?" Yuki queried, startling Tohru out of her trance.

"H-hai?" Tohru asked, blushing a deep shade of red in embarrassment as she glanced at Yuki and Shigure from over the edge of her book.

Yuki smiled lightly, "Is that a good book? What is it?"

Tohru blinked, "It's, ah..." her face turned even redder, "Honestly, I don't know."

Yuki and Shigure shared a worried glance before they walked over to the bed. Shigure spoke first, "Look, Tohru-san, Kyo can be temperamental, but-"

Yuki snorted, "_Can_ be?"

Shigure rolled his eyes, "_Is_ temperamental, but don't hold it against him. He tries. Really."

Yuki added, "He may be a complete idiot with poor social conduct skills, but it's not his fault."

Tohru stared at Shigure and Yuki, her gaze drifting from one to another. When she spoke, her voice was soft, unsure, "Why... is he so angry?"

Yuki and Shigure shared a glance, and they were silent for a few moments. Eventually, Shigure spoke.

"Tohru-san, it's a long story, and not for either of us to tell," the dog told her, "It's not that we don't trust you or anything, it's just... Kyo isn't one who likes his past divulged without his knowing it."

Tohru lowered her head slightly, "So... I'm stuck in the dark?"

"No!" Yuki quickly shook his head, "No, not at all! You just... if you get to spend time with Kyo, maybe you'll grow to like him."

"He does grow on you," Shigure agreed, and Yuki fought hard not to roll his eyes at the dog's words.

"Well..." Tohru seemed to hesitate slightly, "Maybe I will talk to him." She stood up, making her way to the door when Yuki's voice stopped her.

"Honda-san?"

Tohru paused, turning around to look at Yuki with a nervous smile, "Yes?"

"Perhaps it would be wise to change out of your bed clothes first?"

Tohru glanced down at her nightgown, her face turning a healthy shade of red, "Oh."

* * *

As Shigure and Yuki walked out the door to give Tohru her privacy, she heard the small gray rat hiss under his breath, "He _grows_ on you, huh?"

Tohru, for the second time in under twenty-four hours, approached the large wooden doors at the very back of the castle. Hesitantly, hoping it was for the better, Tohru raised up a fist and tapped very lightly on the door.

"Come in."

Tohru furrowed her brow. _That didn't sound like Kyo..._ She pushed the door open, peeking around it to see Hatori kneeling by the couch, a sowing kit in hand. He smiled a bit at her entrance before turning back to his work.

"I knew it had to be you," Hatori told her, and when Tohru didn't respond he elaborated, "No one else can knock."

"Oh, ah, right," Tohru remained in the doorway, he hands folded behind her back and he gaze remaining on the floor.

"So," Hatori weaved the thread on the ripped fabric of the couch, concentrating on working and talking at the same time, "What brings you here?"

Tohru stayed silent for a moment before she admitted, "I just wanted to apologize to Master Kyo-sama. I don't know what I did to make him mad, but-"

Hatori cut her off, "Please, Honda-san, you did absolutely nothing. You just confused him."

Tohru looked up then, "Confused him?"

"Yes," Hatori nodded as he finished up repairing the couch, "He's not used to being thanked for things he does, considering most of the things he does tends to make people want to smack him rather than thank him."

"Oh," Tohru felt awkward, not really knowing what to say. After a moment of thought, she settled on, "Well, do you know where he is? I do think I should apologize for upsetting him, even if you say I did nothing."

Hatori shrugged as he stood up, "If you feel it's necessary. I believe he's in the dining, waiting for his food."

Tohru froze for a second before asking, "Who's preparing it?"

"I was just about to head downstairs to the kitchen," Hatori told her.

Tohru got that determined glint in her eye, turning towards Hatori, "Lead me there, and I'll do the cooking."

* * *

Sorry for the long wait; writer's block! Anyways, the next chapter is going to be back with Uo, Hana, Akito, all them. Dong ma? Haha. All right. 'Til next time!

- **W**inter **S**apphire


	9. Author's Note and Apologies

Sorry about this folks, but I think I have to put this story on hiatus. For a little while. I mean, I've lost inspiration for it, and I want to find it again, but I'm not sure how.

Don't worry, I haven't given up. I'm going to finish it, there's going to be lovely KyoRu moments, I promise. I just need to find my way back to it. And I will find my way back to it.

It's just going to take a little time.

Thank you for understanding,

- WS


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